This invention relates to frozen food display cases, and particularly to the roll-in type.
The invention is particularly suited for supermarket construction in which the display case is open at the front to permit continuous and easy consumer access to frozen food products contained in the display area. In the particular construction contemplated, frozen food products are loaded onto rolling carts. Loaded rolling carts are rolled from a rear storage area into the display area and empty carts may be rolled out of the display area back to the storage area for refilling.
Various types of open front refrigerated display cases are well known. Some examples described in the patent literature include: Henderson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,450,088; Swanson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,137; Kennedy, U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,845; Barroero, U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,875; Rainwater, U.S. Pat. No. 2,984,085; Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,691; Mathis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,274; Fanick, U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,225; Richman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,988; Wile, U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,737; Jarvis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,738; and Brennan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,295.
Heretofore, commercial refrigerators, such as exemplified in the disclosures of the above-mentioned patents, have been more or less designed for special purposes; that is, the designs are based on compromises between the display arrangements and duct work. This, of course, necessitates that a different type of refrigerator be designed and built each time a different type of display is desired.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a standardized design in which the refrigeration equipment is relatively independent of the desired display configuration.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a walk-in or roll-in rear load refrigerator having an open front display section and a rear storage section which is capable of utilizing a variety of display configurations.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a unitized refrigeration circuit which is usable for a variety of shelf and/or cart display configurations.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a bifurcated primary refrigeration air circuit to simultaneously cool the storage section and display section.
It is a further object of the invention to provide this bifurcated primary refrigeration circuit in combination with a secondary unrefrigerated, but colder than ambient temperature, cooled loop, so that the two circuits provide primary and secondary air curtains across the open front of the display case.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a third ambient air curtain across the open front of the display case which further inhibits infiltration of moisture into the display area and which is dissipated into the aisle in front of the display case.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a refrigerated air flow within the display section that is capable of effectively cooling food products stored on individual shelves in the display section.
This invention accomplishes the above and other objects in the following manner.